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Farmers who grow single crops are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, but now researchers are resurrecting ancient crop varieties to encourage diversity and offset the risks of extreme weather.
General fish labels like snapper, sole and seabream take away the power to accurately assess stocks and then distort fishing quotas, but by identifying individual species we could prevent illegal catches ending up on our plates.
Fields of yellow flowers across Europe could soon be producing a harvest of rubber and nickel for use in industry, helping to reduce reliance on imports by creating a home-grown source of raw materials.
From fungal spore spray to insect egg dispensers, unleashing an army of living enemies on crops to keep pests and diseases in check may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it’s part of a more natural approach to agriculture, designed to decrease reliance on chemicals.
While farmers often turn to pesticides and herbicides to get as much produce as possible from their land, there’s something new on the menu that could employ nature’s own resources instead.
With warmer winters and drier summers, climate change might even be having an effect on your favourite bottle of wine.
Cow’s milk accounts for almost 3 % of global greenhouse gas emissions, but skimming the waste from dairy production in Europe could make the business much more sustainable.
The last place you might expect to find drones and rovers is checking up on a corn field, but they could soon join tractors and ploughs on a farmer’s list of must-have agricultural tools, thanks to their potential to reduce pesticide use and increase the amount of crops that can be grown.
Beetles, wasps and flies could be at the forefront of the next agricultural revolution as scientists draw on insects’ millions of years of farming experience in a bid to find new, environmentally friendly ways of cultivating crops.
Researchers are getting ready to test a tobacco-powered aeroplane thanks to a new bio jet fuel made from the seeds of nicotine-free plants, and the result could be a 75 % reduction in carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels.
Drugs could be programmed to target the most dangerous cells.
Scientists are working out how to combat extremism.
The European Commission has launched plans for the next research funding programme.
Co-author of Stephen Hawking's final paper talks about how their work goes beyond Einstein.
Research and innovation can generate the knowledge and solutions to tackle urgent international problems like the Ebola outbreak or the refugee crisis.
